The reshuffle of the UN leadership has brought good news for China's Sha Zukang, after the veteran of international organizations was given the job of supervising the world body's economic and social affairs.

The UN announced the appointment of four under- secretary-generals on February 9. Along with Sha, a U.S. diplomat was named as chief political officer, a Japanese international civil servant was commissioned to manage public information and an Egyptian diplomat was assigned to oversee General Assembly management.

Currently China's permanent representative to the UN Office at Geneva, Sha has wide experience in disarmament issues and is also well versed in economic and social development, according to a UN statement. Over his 37 years in a diplomatic career, his portfolios covered a wide range of fields including security, economy, social affairs, human rights and humanitarian affairs. In recent years, he served respectively as chairman of the Government Group of the Governing Body of the UN International Labor Organization, president of the UN Trade and Development Board, chairman of the Preparatory Committee and the Committee of the Whole of UN Conference on Trade and Development.

He was also elected or appointed as president, vice president, chairman, coordinator and expert in many international conferences in the field of trade, intellectual property, social affairs and telecommunications.

Sha is well known for his "outspoken" style in China's diplomatic community. His usage of "shut up" in an interview with the BBC in August 2006 to refute Washington's attacks on China's military budget had many tongues wagging. Based on the fact that the United States itself accounts for half of the world's military spending, Sha said, "The Chinese population is five or six times that of the United States. Why blame China?…It's better for the United States to shut up and keep quiet. It's much, much better."

Last year, Sha played an important role in the successful bid of Margaret Chan from Hong Kong to the directorship of the World Health Organization.

Sha is the seventh Chinese to serve as UN under-secretary-general.